“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23, NASB)
One morning recently, I read Luke 1:6-7. Zechariah and Elizabeth were faithful people, yet they were suffering because they were childless. Children were considered a blessing and being childless caused them to live with a stigma … but they remained faithful.
The story has challenged me during this season of Advent.
The social climate around us does not seem to be getting better. Each day the news is filled with segments which cause me to wonder when we will ever see things improving.
There is no better time to ponder this than in this time of waiting and silence. We are not the first of God’s people to be in the dark.
Those four hundred years of silence were bleak for God’s people. They too were waiting for deliverance from the oppression of the day. They knew the promise of a coming Savior, but when? And how long were they going to wait?
The tune begins to go through my head and as I pay attention to the words, I am struck with the contrast between sadness and rejoicing.
“O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.”
The people in captivity. They knew the feeling of being alone and in exile while here on earth. They longed for the light to come, the Light which would disperse the gloom and dark shadows which sought to linger.
Yet they kept waiting, watching, hoping.
And they remained faithful.
And while they waited, they rejoiced. Not in their challenging days.
They rejoiced in Emmanuel, who would always be with them.
They rejoiced in Emmanuel, who would always come to them.
They rejoiced in the Help that was on its way.
I am reminded of the Scripture in Luke 18:8 which asks the question:
“However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
Going through difficult times doesn’t mean that God has forgotten us. We were not promised a life of ease. but exhorted to develop a life of faithfulness to Him.
Will He find us waiting, watching, hoping,
and remaining faithful to Him?
Linda brings us a glimpse of the heart of Jesus, both spiritual and physical. “The beautiful heart of Jesus was (and is) the heart of God.” His physical and beating heart. Read her post, “The Heart”, HERE.
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
Photo by andreas kretschmer on Unsplash
Today I am joining …
You have blessed me this evening (when I got the request for ‘pingback.’ Thanks and may He be glorified in all we write on these posts.
Linda, I forgot one receives a ‘pingback’. Too funny. I am glad you were blessed and I know your words will be a blessing. I was most grateful for them!
I’ve sung that song countless times, but your words made me see it in a new light””captive Israel is told to ”˜rejoice until’. Rejoice in expectation, no matter what the circumstances. I need to do more rejoicing in expectation when I feel weighed down by the weary world.
Anita, I cannot even tell you how seeing the song in this light has humbled me this year. Until the day of His appearing, may we wait expectantly and faithfully, rejoicing in the One we are expecting.
I am always amazed at the faith and the faithfulness of those who spent 400 years in silence and still continued to wait in hope!
I have too, Michele, although this year it is standing out like flashing neon.
You’re so right, Jo, it seems we are in a quiet season when all around us is dark and bleak. Yet…The Light did come and will come again. He is with us. He is for us. And, He will never forsake us. Glory!
Amen. He is with us, for us, and will never forsake us. Therein, lies our hope!
So well said, Joanne! I think we all can feel the weight of the darkness on the earth around the globe in so many ways. The unthinkable things keep happening in our midst, but Christ was born in a very dark time and He brought light that resides within each of us who know Him and our mission is to allow it to shine in the midst of the current darkness wherever He has planted us. That thought reminds me of how much we notice even a small candle lit in the darkness.♥ï¸
Amen, Pam. You have said it well – “we notice even a small candle lit in the darkness.” May we let our little lights shine. And now I am humming that song learned in Sunday School – “This Little Light of Mine.” One stanza we sang was, “Let it shine till Jesus comes, I’m gonna let it shine.” 🙂
Oh how I pray I will endure the coming days. They seem to be upon us now. Thank you friend.
J.D. , as we keep our eyes on Him, He will be faithful to each one of us. He will keep our hearts stayed on Him.
God’s timing is so different from ours. The wait for the Messiah to come, through the ups and downs of Israel’s history over thousands of years, and then 400 years of silence–how hard it must have been at times. Yet we see throughout Scripture that God always keeps His promises in His own perfect time. What hope that gives us in our days, not only that He is coming again, but He is with us and gives us grace every step of the way.
It gives me such hope, Barbara, that we can be found faithful. He will give us all we need to walk with Him as we keep our eyes on Him.
Joanne, This hymn is by far my favorite of all the Christmas hymns we sing. The message is beautiful. Thank you for the reminder about faithfulness in the waiting. It truly is in the times of waiting our faithfulness is tested!
Donna, as I read your thoughts it occurred to me … our faithfulness is tested in times of waiting, but not His. He is always faithful. Thank you for sharing, friend!
This summarizes the heart of the matter for them and for us, “They rejoiced in Emmanual.”
Amen. May we rejoice in Him!
I definitely see the similarities too between their times and ours. O come, O come, Emmanuel! Yes indeed.
I have so been struck with this song, more so this year than any other year I think.
In rereading your post, I just finished reading a chapter in John Piper’s rather large book, “Providence.” The chapter was on God’s purpose in the long exile and the exodus from Egypt. The Israelites rejoiced after waiting. As you began this post, the waiting for good news seems painful these days, yet I, too, want to be faithful and hopeful as I wait. Lifting my eyes! I, too, want to rejoice in the salvation of God, in Who Yahweh is. The circumstances may not change, but God never has either. He desires our hearts to be His. Thanks for a fine post!
Linda, thank you for sharing as it means so much to me. May our God give us “waiting hearts” is my prayer this morning. May we, too, rejoice in our Lord.
Isn’t it such a blessing that He has promised He wil never leave or forsake us. Even in the darkness, He is there.
It’s the hope we can hold onto for He is the faithful one.
I needed this encouragement to hold onto hope in this desolate waste land. Thank you.
Lauren, may you keep holding on. Praying you see new growth and light in what appears to be waste. Blessings!
Great post Joanne! His light always penetrates the darkest of times & the wait for His Will to be accomplished is always worth it! 🤗
Bless you,
Jennifer
Reading your comment as the light is penetrating the darkness as the sun comes up 🙂 Blessings!
I am thankful for the hope we have in Jesus. Merry Christmas!
Indeed! Merry Christmas to you and yours as well!
This has always been one of my very favorite Christmas songs. I’ve been pondering these things, too. Rejoicing in the hard, in the wait – His hope makes all the difference. So very thankful that He came!
Joanne, your mention of Zechariah and his wife caught my attention. This past Sunday, we reviewed Zechariah’s response to the angel and reflected on our own hearts in response to God’s word to us. Do we question it or accept it, as Mary did, yet with wonderment as to how God will carry it through. Yet, believing He will.
And, “O come, O come, Emmanuel” tugs at my heartstrings from so many different angles. It was part of my Christian upbringing to sing it throughout Advent, so memories of those times are stirred. Then we began the tradition with our children. We hope that it left an impression on them in the same way. Something they will carry in their hearts and homes.
Blessings, Joanne, for having this offering.
Janis, thank you for sharing your memories of such a precious tradition with your children. Praying their memories will be stirred and held close this Christmas season. xo
“We are not the first of God’s people to be in the dark.” This is so true, Joanne, and also very comforting. We also have the Holy Spirit and so many more promises to hold on to than those ones who waited in that 400-year silence. I’m so thankful for that.
Lois, I am so very grateful for their example. I am finding myself clinging more tightly to the promises of His light, His Presence, His joy, and His hope for He will be faithful to us. {{hugs}}